A new coffee offering from beverage manufacturer Nescafe includes collagen, aiming to help give coffee-drinkers' skin a boost.

The coffee manufacturer Nescafe has developed a new product containing collagen, the beauty-enhancing ingredient. Aimed at women, the coffee producer has started selling the sachets, that contain coffee, skimmed milk and 200mg of collagen, the protein found naturally in body tissue.

But health experts have questioned how drinking collagen could boost levels in the skin because it would be simply broken down by the gut before being excreted.

Collagen is the elastic material that helps give skin its shape. It is used by cosmetic surgeons as a "filler" to remove fine lines and is an ingredient in many anti-wrinkle creams.

Despite the precise beauty benefits of mixing coffee with collagen remaining unclear, this new beverage offering is part of a much wider trend known as “nutri-cosmetics.” This is where food and drink producers promote new products by highlighting the positive effect it can have one eyes, skin, hair and a person's general appearance.

David Jago, director of trends and innovation at market analysts Mintel, told the Daily Express, “Collagen is just one popular ingredient used to lend a more skin and beauty-friendly image to a product and is increasingly found not just in beauty products but also in food and drink products—including coffee.”

To date, the product has been launched in Singapore to rave reviews.

While Swiss-based manufacturer Nestle, the maker of Nescafe, says it has no immediate plans to launch it in Britain or elsewhere, Jago predicted European consumers would follow as more brands decide to launch nutri-styled cosmetic products.